13 Things To Do When Broke That Cost Absolutely Nothing

Let’s be real — nobody plans to be broke. But at some point, most of us find ourselves staring at a near-empty bank account, wondering how we’re going to make it to payday without losing our minds. If you’re searching for things to do when broke, you’ve landed in the right place.

Here’s a stat that might make you feel less alone: according to Bankrate’s 2024 Annual Emergency Savings Report, 56% of Americans could not cover a $1,000 emergency expense from savings alone. That’s more than half the country. Financial stress is an American reality — not a personal failure.

The trick is knowing how to keep your life full and your mood steady even when your wallet isn’t cooperating. This guide gives you 13 specific, actionable ideas — things you can do today, this weekend, or anytime — that are 100% free and genuinely worth your time.

Why Having a “Free Activity Plan” Actually Matters

When people hit a financial rough patch, the instinct is often to hunker down, cancel everything, and wait it out. But isolation and inactivity during financial stress can make anxiety significantly worse. The American Psychological Association regularly conducts its Stress in America survey, which has repeatedly found that financial concerns top the list of stressors among American adults.

Staying active, social, and engaged — even on zero budget — directly protects your mental health. And here’s the bonus: several of the activities below can quietly lay groundwork for improving your financial situation too.

13 Things To Do Without Spending a Single Dollar

1. Turn Your Neighborhood Into a Discovery Zone

Most people walk the same three blocks and call it “going outside.’’ Challenge yourself to explore parts of your city or town you’ve never visited. Grab a free map from your local visitor center, look up historical landmarks nearby on Google Maps, or simply take a different route every day for a week.

America is full of overlooked public spaces — riverside paths, botanical sections of public parks, historic districts, and waterfront boardwalks — that locals rarely take advantage of. It’s one of the best fun things to do when broke because it genuinely feels like a mini-adventure.

💡 Pro Tip: Search “[your city] free outdoor attractions” on Google to uncover spots you’ve probably driven past a hundred times.

2. Raid Your Public Library — Like, Really Raid It

Your library card is quietly one of the most powerful free memberships in America, and most cardholders use maybe 10% of what’s available. Beyond books, most public library systems in the U.S. now offer:

• Free streaming via Kanopy and hoopla (movies, documentaries, kids’ content)
• Digital audiobooks and eBooks through Libby
• Free passes to local museums, zoos, and cultural centers
• Skill-based workshops on everything from résumé writing to coding basics
• Free notary services, 3D printers, and recording studios at select branches

If you don’t have a card yet, you can get one free in minutes with a valid ID and proof of address. No excuses.

3. Host a “Nothing-Required” Social Night

Being broke doesn’t have to mean being isolated. In fact, doubling down on your relationships during tough times is one of the smartest moves you can make. Organize a potluck where everyone brings one dish, or an old-school game night with whatever board games or card decks people already own.

These are the kinds of social activities when broke that actually strengthen friendships. And frankly, laughing over a game of Spades or Uno at someone’s kitchen table often beats an expensive night out anyway.

💡 Pro Tip: No board games? Print free card game rules online. Classics like Rummy, Go Fish, or Crazy Eights need just one deck of cards.

4. Learn Something Marketable — For Free

A financial rough patch is quietly one of the best times to invest in yourself. The internet has completely democratized education, and you can now learn skills that pay real money — all at zero cost:

• Google Digital Garage — free certified digital marketing courses
• Coursera / edX (audit mode) — university-level courses from MIT, Yale, and more
• YouTube — tutorials on coding, design, video editing, writing, plumbing, you name it
• Khan Academy — math, science, finance, and test prep, completely free

One new skill learned during a tough stretch can directly change your income six months from now. That’s a return on investment you can’t beat.

5. Declutter With a Cash-Out Strategy

This one is both a free activity and a potential income source. Go through your home room by room and pull everything you no longer use. Then list items on:

• Facebook Marketplace — best for furniture, electronics, and home goods
• Poshmark or ThredUp — ideal for clothing and accessories
• eBay — great for collectibles, books, and niche items
• OfferUp — solid local selling app for quick cash

The average American household has an estimated $3,000 to $7,000 in unused items, according to research from the National Association of Professional Organizers. Your clutter could be your emergency fund.

6. Volunteer — It Pays Back in Ways Money Can’t

Volunteering is one of those things to do that cost nothing but somehow gives back more than almost anything else. Food banks, animal shelters, Habitat for Humanity chapters, community gardens, and literacy programs across the U.S. are perpetually short-staffed and grateful for help.

Beyond the feel-good factor, volunteering has documented mental health benefits — it reduces depression, combats loneliness, and creates a sense of purpose. It also builds your professional network and resume in ways that matter when you’re job hunting.

💡 Pro Tip: Use VolunteerMatch.org or JustServe.org to find opportunities in your zip code within minutes.

7. Explore Free Museum and Cultural Admission Days

A surprising number of major U.S. cultural institutions are free or offer regular free-admission windows:

• The entire Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C.) — always free
• Many city art museums offer free evenings once a month
• National Parks offer free entrance days several times per year (check nps.gov)
• Many science centers and children’s museums offer “community free days” for lower-income families

Google “[your city] free museum days 2026” and you’ll almost certainly find more options than you expected. Culture doesn’t have to cost anything.

8. Move Your Body — No Gym Required

Exercise is one of the most powerful, clinically supported tools for managing the anxiety and low mood that often come with financial worries. And you need zero equipment and zero budget to get a real workout.

• YouTube channels: Yoga With Adriene, POPSUGAR Fitness, and Chloe Ting offer full programs completely free
• Running and walking: The most effective, most accessible cardio on earth
• Bodyweight training: Push-ups, squats, lunges, and planks require nothing but floor space
• Community sports: Many city parks have free pickup basketball, volleyball nets, and tennis courts

Thirty minutes of movement three to four times a week can measurably shift your mood and energy levels within two weeks.

9. Cook Like You Mean It

Cooking at home is one of the most underrated free activities there is. When money is tight, it’s also one of the most financially impactful habits you can build. The average American spends over $3,000 a year eating out, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Challenge yourself to cook every meal from scratch for one week using only pantry staples. Pull up AllRecipes, Budget Bytes (an excellent U.S.-focused budget cooking site), or YouTube for inspiration. Make it a game: what’s the most impressive meal you can make with what’s already in your kitchen?

💡 Pro Tip: Batch cook on Sundays. One session of cooking can cover meals for three to four days and dramatically cuts both spending and daily decision fatigue.

10. Start a Simple Outdoor or Windowsill Garden

You don’t need a yard, a green thumb, or any experience to start growing food. A few recycled containers on a windowsill, some free seeds from a local seed library (many U.S. public libraries have seed-lending programs), and tap water is all it takes to grow herbs like basil, cilantro, and mint.

Gardening has documented stress-reducing effects — it’s been called “vitamin G” by some researchers. It also produces real food, which saves money. Double win.

11. Write Your Way Through It

Journaling is free, private, and one of the most researched mental health tools available. Studies published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that expressive writing helps people process stressful events and reduces the mental bandwidth consumed by anxiety and rumination.

Write about your financial situation honestly. Write about what you want your life to look like in a year. Write out a plan. Sometimes, seeing your thoughts on paper makes them feel far more manageable than when they’re spinning in your head at 2 a.m.

12. Reconnect With People Who Matter

When financial stress hits, many people pull away socially out of embarrassment or exhaustion. But human connection is one of the core things we need to stay emotionally healthy — and it costs absolutely nothing.

Text a friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with. Call a family member. Go for a walk with a neighbor. Reach out to someone you admire and ask for a coffee chat (virtual or in person — your treat of a home-brewed cup). These are genuine social activities when broke that can lift your mood and open unexpected doors.

13. Get Brutally Honest About Your Finances — Then Make a Plan

Here’s the activity most people avoid but that pays the biggest dividends: sit down with your actual numbers. Open every account. Write down every income source, every recurring expense, every debt. No judgment — just facts.

Free tools that make this easier:

• Mint (now Credit Karma): automatic expense tracking and budget summaries
• YNAB (free 34-day trial): one of the most effective budgeting systems in the U.S.
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov): free budgeting worksheets and financial counseling referrals
• Google Sheets: free budget templates available via a quick search

Clarity is the beginning of control. You can’t fix what you won’t face

Quick Reference: Your Free Activity Cheat Sheet

Activity	Mood Boost	Income Potential
Explore neighborhood	⭐⭐⭐	Low
Library deep dive	⭐⭐⭐⭐	Low
Host a game/potluck night	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	None
Learn a free online skill	⭐⭐⭐	High
Declutter & sell	⭐⭐⭐	High
Volunteer	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Medium (networking)
Free museum days	⭐⭐⭐⭐	None
Home workouts	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	None
Cook from scratch	⭐⭐⭐	Saves money
Garden (windowsill)	⭐⭐⭐⭐	Saves money
Journal	⭐⭐⭐⭐	None
Reconnect socially	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Medium (networking)
Financial audit + plan	⭐⭐⭐	High (long-term)

⚠️  A Note on Financial Advice: This article is for informational and motivational purposes only. It does not constitute professional financial, legal, or psychological advice. If you are experiencing serious financial hardship, consider reaching out to a certified nonprofit credit counselor via the NFCC (nfcc.org) or your local HUD-approved housing counselor. Mental health support is available free at 988lifeline.org.

The Bottom Line

A financial rough patch doesn’t define you — it’s just a chapter, not the whole story. The 13 things to do when broke in this guide aren’t consolation prizes. Many of them — learning new skills, decluttering, volunteering, budgeting — are things people in great financial shape actively do to stay that way.

Use this season intentionally. Stay curious, stay connected, and stay moving. The free activities above will help you protect your mental health, nurture your relationships, and quietly lay the groundwork for the comeback you’re already working toward.

You’ve got more resources than you think. And the best things in life — the ones that actually fill you up — have never had a price tag.

We Want to Hear From You

Which of these free activities are you going to try first? Or do you have a go-to thing to do without spending that didn’t make our list? Drop it in the comments below — your tip might be exactly what someone else needs to read today.

And if this guide helped you, consider sharing it with a friend who might be going through their own financial rough patch. Sometimes the most helpful thing we can do for someone is hand them a simple list and say: “start here.”